A crucial record in the early days of the global scene in the 80s – a set that lifts the music of King Sunny Ade from its roots in Nigeria, and mixes it up with some fresh elements that really open things up for a world's worth of ears! The approach isn't commercial – at least not in the modes of the later world music years – but there's occasional elements that echo the beat culture rising up in New York and London, mixed with the warmer sounds that were always at Sunny's music – especially that way of making the acoustic percussion and basslines come together in flowing waves of completely sublime sound! All tracks are nice and long – and titles include "Gboromiro", "Oremi", "Ire", "Iro", "Ogunja", and "Ase". LP, Vinyl record album

Timeless sounds from Lewlewal – a contemporary group from Senegal, and part of a vanishing culture in the city of Podor! The tracks were recorded recently, but have a feel that goes back decades – mostly acoustic instrumentation on percussion and guitar, played with an intimate approach that draws strongly on tradition – but which also allows for some personal inflections from the group members too. The vocals – sung by Demba Doka Barry – are especially nice – with this hauntingly soulful feel that really grabs us, even over the space of a language difference. Titles include "Ziarre", "Patrimonie", "Jaanfa", "Diaraby", "Yela", and "Almamy". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Miriam Makeba's hippest albums of all time – a set that marked the end of her association with Reprise Records, and her fame in the crossover American scene of the 60s – and for good reason, too – as the whole thing's brimming over with much more righteous energy than ever before! Makeba's really letting loose here – not content to bring South African custom and culture to the overseas mainstream, but instead stepping forth with a new sense of mission and message – one that even comes through when she takes on some more familiar tunes by other artists at the time! The set features production from Lewis Merenstein, who'd done Astral Weeks – and the sound here is so different than Miriam's records from just a few years before – thanks also in part to the great backing arranged by George Butcher, which adds in lots of bass, percussion, and horns that take Miriam into a hipper 70s Afro Soul mode. Titles include "Lumumba", "Kulala", "Tululu", "Down On the Corner", "In My Life", and a great cover of "For What It's Worth". LP, Vinyl record album

A groundbreaking array of material from the first in a legendary series of festivals – the important Womad concerts of the 80s, which were a crucial effort in opening the doors to a globe's amount of music! Womad was famously helmed by Peter Gabriel, who was drawing on many currents of cultures in his own recordings of the time – and the initial weekend concert in England was the start of a huge tradition that would impact countless audiences for many years to come. This package restores some lost recordings from that initial festival, and is a great mix of global styles and more groundbreaking work of the time – with titles that include "Gahu" by Ekome, "Kama Kiwacu" by Drummers Of Burundi, "Womad II" by Robert Fripp, "Tabla Iqae" by Musicians Of The Nile, "Zimbo" by Echo & The Bunnymen with Royal Burundi Drummers, "Raindrops Pattering On Banana Leaves" by Tian Jin Music & Dance Ensemble, "Salsa De Hoy" by Salsa De Joy, "You're My Kind Of Climate" by Rip Rig & Panic, "A Ritual Mask" by Peter Hammill, and "Biko" by Peter Gabriel with Ekome. LP, Vinyl record album

Disco sounds from the Caribbean scene of the 70s – a really unique mix of regional styles with the kind of rhythms that were coming from New York and Philly at the time! The groove here is really unique – even different than some of the reggae or African disco numbers of the time – as the sunny style of Trinidad & Tobago and other islands turns out to be a perfect fit for clubby elements – mixing riffing instrumentation with playful lyrics that would have been right at home in older musical modes, but which are tuned just right here to match the energy of the disco generation. And these cuts have an appeal that goes way beyond any sense of novelty or gimmick – often served up with a soulfulness that meets or beats mainstream US disco of the period. Hats off to Cultures of Soul for bringing all these great grooves together – on a set that includes "Dance With Me" by Odessey One, "Feel Like Dancing" by Levi John, "Instant Funk" by Merchant, Be Yourself" by Mighty Duke, "The Rebels" and "Living On A String" by Wild Fire, "Peace Without Love" by Ronnie Butler And The Ramblers, "Rockers Delight" by Prince Blackman (a nicely simmering Jamaican funk take on "Rappers Delight"), "Got To Have You" by Joanne Wilson, "Disco Music" by Trinadad Troubadours – plus the bonus tracks "Got To Have You (Whiskey Barons Rework)" and "Dance With Me (Al Kent Version)" by Odessey One. (Funky Compilations, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

An Afro-Peruvian classic, and a folkloric set that really gets at the complicated modes of the genre! There's plenty going on here, but always in a relatively organic way – an unusual blend of Spanish-styled guitar, earthy percussion, and vocal passages that evoke styles from island cultures in Cuba, Haiti, and even Cape Verde! The real mystery is how these elements came into play on the other side of South America – and with such a timeless quality that the record feels far more ancient than the 1973 date of its release – maybe like some of the Discos Marcos Pereira releases in Brazil at the same time. Titles include "Cancion Para Ekue", "El Payande", "Negrito De Donde Vienes", "Ollita Noma", "Toro Mata", and "Pobre Negrita". (Latin, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic look at the groundbreaking sounds of the Disques Debs label – one of the most important companies producing music in the French Caribbean – and an imprint whose impact was strongly felt on the other side of the Atlantic as well! The core of these grooves is that compelling biguine rhythm that flowed from Guadeloupe – almost a mix of Latin and jazz, but with a different sort of vibe of its own – which was then interwoven with elements from Cuban, European, and African styles amidst the initial decade or so of recordings on this set! Debs had strong ties with Paris, and a bit with the West African scene – and their recorded legacy almost follows old colonial paths, but in reverse – creating this wonderful criss-crossing of cultures amidst their grooves. The package is wonderful – loads of vintage photos and great notes in the best Strut Records way – and titles include "Douce Kombass" by Henri Debs Quintet, "Mr Morin" by Joseph Lacides, "Lan Mise" by Geno Exilie, "Feeling Happy" by Cyril Dias Et Son Orchestre, "Ces P'Tits Je T'Aime" by Daniel Forestal Et Sa Guitare, "Assez Fait Cancan" by Guy Conquette, "Stanislas" by Eric Virgal, "Meringue Mondey" by Remy Mondey, "Si I Bon Di I Bon" by Le Ry-Co Jazz, "Salvana" by Dolor Et Les Diables Du Rhythme, and "Van Van" by Henri Guedon Et Les Contesta. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most unique musical talents we've heard in years – finally given his due in this wonderful collection of work from the late 70s and early 80s! Alain Peters works in a style that's beyond description – a global mix of elements from both the Caribbean and Africa, but often given a slight South Asian spin, given that Alain spent a fair bit of time exploring the cultures of the Indian Ocean – which he weaves here into a hypnotic blend of percussion, guitar, and extremely evocative French language lyrics! Rather than stepping on and pilfering from a range of cultures – Peters is instead a unique citizen of the post-colonial world, and allows himself a boundary-less space to stretch out beyond any simple generic descriptions. If we had to try to relate this music to anything, we might say that it's at the level of some of the most perfect experiments on the Saravah Records label – with a similarly haunting, live-changing vibe. Titles include "Mange Pou Le Coeur", "La Rosee Si Feuilles Songes", "La Peche Bernica", "Wayo Manman", "Rest'La Maloya", and "Ti Pas Ti Pas N'Arriver". LP, Vinyl record album

Pretty amazing music from new immigrants to the US – a range of different sounds from Eastern European cultures, reworked here for recordings on American 78s! The music has echoes of Jewish styles, and bits of early polka – although polka itself as a genre wouldn't emerge until years later, as these various cultures tried to find a common ground in the mainstream. Most of the recordings are relatively rootsy – and feel more like ethnographic sounds captured in the old world – and the LP comes with a really great booklet of notes, with way more detail than usual for Mississippi! 16 tracks in all – with work by Edward Mika, Wladyslaw Polak, Stanislaw Mermel, Orkiestra Majkuta, and others. LP, Vinyl record album